Serpent's Queen: The Beginning
by Princess Mariana
Summary: Ella meets Tom Riddle as he is being bullied. That is when they began to be good friends. After awhile, they become enemies and friends again. Why is fate playing with their lives? Will there relationship deepen? If it does, what will Tom do? HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Harry Potter. Read books before reading this. Might contain Spoilers. **

"You think you're so great, don't you," a voice snarled.

Ella stopped walking and sighed. They were at it again. They were bullying a Slytherin. She hesitated, wondering why she stuck up for the bullied Slytherins who were supposed to be her, and all the Gryfindor's, sworn enemies. But it still isn't right; she argued to herself, they don't have the right to gang up on someone, even a Slytherin.

Ella put her hesitation aside and bravely turned the corner. What she saw surprised her. A young, handsome, Slytherin boy who was about her age was being thrown into the wall be a fifth year Gryffindor boy who had a bloody nose. Usually none of the bullies were ever hurt. Usually it was the Slytherin who was bleeding.

In books when someone finds their friends bullying someone, they usually run to the victim, help them up, and glare at the bullies, asking how in the world they can be so cruel. Ella, on the other hand, thought that helping a Slytherin would be the last thing she would ever want to do, and she thought that that method was rather absurd. Instead, she merely glanced at the thrown boy as she strode in-between him and the bullies.

She was a menacing picture, for all her eleven years of life. "Cowards!" she taunted them, "Fiends! Bullies! You pick on someone who has never harmed you before! And you call yourself Gryffindors! You should be ashamed!"

They all avoided her eyes except for a sixth year who snarled back at her, "_You _should be ashamed to call yourself a Gryffindor! Slytherins are our enemies, ours if not yours. For all you know, he," the sixth year jabbed a finger at the Slytherin boy, "could turn out to be the most evil person ever born."

Ella stood her ground, "Slytherins are my enemies too, but it still isn't right to bully people, just because of his or her house. And bullying someone doesn't help them not to become dark wizards."

But the group of Gryffindor bullies had had enough of her. The sixth year, apparently the leader, took out his wand and pointed it at the Slytherin. Just as fast, Ella took her wand, also pointed at the Slytherin, and muttered a quick spell right before a red light came out of the sixth year's wand. A bubble surrounded the Slytherin, Ella's spell. The sixth year's spell hit the bubble to ricochet off it and hit Ella. Ella had been prepared for this and closed her eyes to embrace the pain. The spell hit her arm and she fell.

There was a deep silence. The group of bullies looked horrified at hitting one of their own. The Slytherin looked shocked. Ella's eyes were closed in pain, but she could still talk, "If you do not leave, I swear by the founders of Hogwarts, I will make sure you are sorry."

The bullies ran. Ella pointed her wand at her bubble surrounding the boy and muttered a spell. It vanished just as Ella fainted.

When Ella aroused, she was lying on one of the hospital wing cots. Madame Grout, the school's nurse, was bending over her. "Drink this, dear," she commanded, putting a cup to Ella's lips, making her drink the unknown liquid. When the cup was empty, Madame Grout put the cup on the nightstand next to the cot, saying, "What excuse did you do this time. Falling down stairs or dropping your trunk doesn't shatter all the bones in your left arm, crack two of your ribs, _and_ break your right arm." She waited for a reply, patiently.

Ella had been defending bullied Slytherins from Gryffindor bullies and more than once and more than once, she had gotten hurt instead of the bullied Slytherin. She made up lame excuses to Madame Grout on these accessions, but the nurse really never believed her. And now Ella couldn't think of any good excuse for these injuries.

For a reply, Ella simply said, "I accidentally jinxed myself."

"Good lie, but unnecessary. That Slytherin boy's face told all."

Ella blinked in surprise, "What Slytherin boy?" she asked.

"Why, the one you saved of course. And speaking of him, he's been asking to see you for the past two days."

"Two days!" Ella sat up in alarm, winced in pain, and fell back down.

The nurse just grinned and left, to return with the boy behind her. He hesitantly sat in the wooden chair that Ella had just noticed next to her bed. Madame Grout quickly left to help another patient. The two first years felt awkward. The boy was the first person to speak, "Er, thanks for helping me. I'm Tom Riddle."

"I'm Ella Abmer. I would say 'pleased to meet you.' But under our circumstances, it was not a delightful first meeting," Ella replied.

Tom Riddle laughed, "Well _I _was pleased to meet you, but I still don't understand why."

Ella grimaced, "I really have learned to hate that question, but it is an improvement."

Tom looked politely confused. Ella explained, "Usually my fellow Gryffindors ask me that question and the Slytherin usually yells at me and say to mind my own business or something like that."

Tom looked amused and sounded amused, too, when he asked, "What is the answer?"

Ella looked embarrassed, "Well, Slytherins are also people regardless their unknown fates. And bullying is just plain wrong, even to one's enemies."

"Oh." There was a five minute uncomfortable silence until Tom said randomly, "Is your full name Ella?"

Ella looked more ill at ease, "Everyone calls me Ella, but my real name is Elleanora. My grandmother's name was Eleanor, but my mother had promised her that she wouldn't name any of her children after my grandmother. My father, then, thought that adding an 'a' after Eleanor wouldn't be making me have a namesake and Grandmother was dead so she couldn't argue."

Tom looked thoughtful, "I think I like Elleanora better that Ella or Eleanor."

The awkward pause continued for another five minutes, when Ella finally asked, "I'm not trying to be rude, but why did you come?"

Tom composed his face to look politely blank, "I wanted to know how I could repay you back for helping me."

Ella didn't let her face give away what she was thinking, either, "You don't have to."

"I don't like being in debt."

Ella smiled wryly, "How about when you become that dark wizard, you won't kill me."

A smile escaped Tom's lips and he pretended to think about it for a second, "What if you're in my way?"  
Ella processed that then replied, "Than don't torture me before you murder me."

"I promise I will not torture you before I kill you when I become a dark wizard," his voice was so serious and sincere that Ella was fighting laughter. She curtly nodded. They talked about various things when finally Tom stood, "I'll see you tomorrow."

When he had left, Ella smiled.

The next morning Ella woke up from the strangest dream. Tom Riddle had been in it. They were alone standing alone, about ten feet away from each other, on what looked like a battle field. She had her wand pointed at him and he was laughing softly. Tom started walking towards her; Ella began to back up, then she was falling into darkness.

When she awoke, she couldn't remember the dream at all. She blinked, try to remember when she saw Tom sitting in the visitor's chair again. "Good morning, Elleanora," Tom used Elleanora instead of Ella.

"What are you doing here, again, no offense," blurted out Ella.

Tom smiled innocently, "Last night I was thinking and I wanted to ask you if we were friends or enemies. I mean, since you helped me out and I promised not to kill you painfully."

Ella blinked. "Am I dreaming?" she asked dazedly.

Tom looked politely puzzled, "No, why?"

"Because I think you just asked me if we were friends."

Tom looked even more confused, "I don't understand."

"Well, first of all, I have never had a friend. Secondly, you're a Slytherin and I am a Gryffindor. We are practically sworn enemies; it's in our blood, practically."

"Oh, sorry; I'm new to this world," he winced for some reason.

Ella was shocked, "You're a muggle-born? I thought you couldn't be Slytherin if you were muggle-born."

"No," Tom said quickly, "at least one of my parents was a wizard or witch. I really don't know."

Ella tilted her head, thinking carefully as she said, "You'll find your parents eventually. I did and I wasn't looking."

"You were orphaned?"

"Abducted, would be the word, on my first birthday. I don't know how or why, but exactly nine years later, when I turned ten, my parents found me with some muggles. That's when I learned about the magic."

Tom smiled politely, "You still haven't answered my question."

"I can't. It's up to you."

"Since you can see the future, why don't you decide?"

"I can now see the future?" questioned Ella.

Tom smiled again, "You think I'm going to be a dark wizard and that I'll find out who my parents are, so tell me if we'll have a strong or weak relationship."

"Can I just guess? That's really all I have been doing," she went on when Tom nodded, "I believe that we will be friends until summer break, then, in our second year, we will be enemies. Third year we will be enemies for awhile and then…," Ella paused, frowning, "We will …change… our relationship. Afterwards is unclear. But I know for sure this summer you will change for the worse, in my opinion, and for the better, in yours."

Tom looked impressed, "Did you really see that, or was it guess work?"

"Putting all the facts I know about Slytherins and Gryffindors and our 'friendship' now," Ella dryly.

"All right, so starting in our second year, we go by last names, not first names, we'll hate each other for a year and a half, and then we'll be friend for at least a year. And I will probably find my parents sometime between third and sixth year, then, I'll become a dark wizard and kill you, unpainfully. Happy future, isn't it?" Tom stringed together her guesses of the future.

"Just an educated guess and I had a dream awhile ago that had a boy, who I assume was you, who led that life with me, except for the killing me part."

"What happened instead?" Tom asked.

"I woke up."

**Awful cliffhanger, I know. I am sorry. It was a let down for me so I can't rub it in. For awhile I was stuck, but I am now unstuck, at this part at least. Tom Riddle starts acting more like Tom Riddle later in the series so don't worry. It also gets better, in my opinion. Remember this chapter because it gives a lot of hits of the future, and I mean like the future, future. Like the very future when they're all grown up. If you have any questions, put it in a review and I will post them on this page. Review and Read on!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Harry Potter. Read books and previous chapter(s) before reading this. Might be Spoilers. **

Ella and Tom became best friends until they said good-bye at the train station, knowing what might happen over the summer if Ella was right. Over the summer they both did changed. Tom hardened into a cold boy who showed no emotion. Ella became more independent, more stubborn, and her hatred for Slytherins grew. When they went back to Hogwarts, they were sworn enemies.

Their second year past quickly and their summer break flew by just as fast. They were in their third year now. Instead of showing their hate, they were cold in a polite way, to each other at least. Both of them still hadn't made any close friends, but they were respected in their houses. What everybody in Gryffindor liked and admired Ella was that she was determined, strong, and smart. The things the Slytherins liked about Tom were that he was clever, indifferent to everyone, and smart. No one knew how Tom needed no effort for being this way and that Ella was really sad and lonely, but put her heart into studying to forget all of her grief.

One day, in History of Magic, Professor Fern decided to put people into pairs to debate different things that they were learning, because he loved debates. The class, except for Tom and Ella who left their faces blank, groaned in unison. "Now," said Professor Fern, "I will pair you together in a way to make the debates more interesting. Once I place you in pairs, I will pass out a card, telling the debate," he rubbed his hand together, "Good let's get started." He cleared his throat, "Corner, Timoth," he went on. Finally he said, "Abmer, Riddle." Ella inwardly groaned. When Professor Fern finished, he said, "Everyone stand close to the wall." Everyone obliged. He waved his wand and the desks vanished. The professor waved his wand again and a long table that went through the center of the room appeared. "Now, everybody sit down facing your partner." Everyone was used to this, and so they knew the procedure well. Tom and Ella sat down at the end of the table, facing each other. Professor Fern flick his wand again and a paper went in front of each of the pairs. "Begin!" cried the overenthusiastic professor.

Tom picked up the paper, "Was it right for Salazar Slytherin to leave?" he read.

"No," they accidentally chorused. For less than a second, Ella saw surprise flicker on his unchanging face, "Why?" he asked her.

"Because he just left because one small thing was incorrect in his eyes. He was a coward," she tartly replied.

"He wasn't a coward," snapped back Tom, "it wasn't a small thing."

Professor Fern appeared at Ella's shoulder, unexpectedly, "Since you both agree on it, than go to the core of the argument," he said cheerfully, "Argue about if it matter if you're a pureblood or a muggle-born." Then he left.

"I don't think it matters," Ella curtly said.

"I know it does," Tom said coldly.

They stayed on this topic for at least twenty minutes, when their voices became less controlled. They stared at each other for a moment, and then started speaking in quieter voices. The end of class was drawing to a close and Professor Fern told them to go to the wall again. With a flip of his wand, he made the table disappear; another flip, and the desks reappeared. The class went to their seats, waiting for the assignment. "Now," the professor said, cheerfully, "you will need to study your subjects more carefully for our next debate. Don't study with your partner." The bell rang and all of the third years grabbed their books and left; Tom and Ella headed for potions; not together, of course.

The next day was a Saturday and Ella decided to go to the library instead going outside. It was snowing and she hated snow, especially snowball fights. Plus, the library would probably be empty.

Ella was very determined to win the debate, so she had thought, the night before, how to best address the argument. Her first destination was the section for famous witches and wizards. She would look at the awful things pure bloods had done and the great things muggle-borns had done.

After about two minutes of searching, someone appeared next to her, also searching. Her spirits fell and Ella composed her face into a polite mask. Tom Riddle was probably looking for the same thing as her, except instead of the good things muggle-born did and the horrible things purebloods did, he was doing the opposite. Trying not to ground her teeth in frustration, she quickly grabbed the books she needed and went to sit down in the area that had chairs and tables for studying students. To the sorrow of Tom and Ella, there was only one area like this in the library, and four tables, in a square formation, so Tom was one table over from Ella.

Ella inwardly sighed and took out a piece of parchment to begin. She opened the book and started scanning. To her surprise, many muggle-borns weren't very friendly to purebloods. In fact, in all the dark wizards she had found in her books, the majority of them were muggle-born. There were also more purebloods doing better things. _This is going to be a hard debate to win, _Ella thought. "So, Abmer, how are you fairing in this," Tom said, almost tauntingly.

"Well, Riddle, you'll have to find out on Wednesday," snapped Ella.

Tom looked almost smug, "That probably means you're not doing well. Maybe you should go outside, instead. It might clear your brain a bit and come to your senses and agree with me," this time it Ella was almost positive he was taunting her.

"If you're doing so well," Ella snapped, "then _you_ go out and have a snowball fight with someone."

Tom's expression hardened, "Snowball fights aren't productive."

"Than why do you think _I_ should go in the snow," it was Ella's turn to almost taunt.

Tom's expression turned to almost cruelly amused, "Because you _like_ to do unproductive things."

Ella glared at him, "You mean it doesn't kill me to have _fun._"

They glared at each other until someone walked. "What are you two doing here?" a sharp, familiar voice said, "I told the whole class that partners weren't supposed to work together."

Tom looked up, innocently, and said, in a polite voice, "But Professor Fern, we are not working together. We just both refrained from getting hit in the head by small bits of frozen water. And since we had nothing productive to do, we headed here, not knowing the other one of us was going to also be here." Tom said it so silkily that if it had been a complete lie, both Professor Fern and Ella would've been convinced. "Alright then," the professor said, as he left the library.

Ella stared at him. "What?" Tom asked coldly.

She forgot completely that he was a hated Slytherin when she answered, "How do you do that?" she waved her hand vaguely, "Make people believe you like that."

His voice was very cold, but amused as he replied, "Practice."

At the next History of Magic lesson, Tom practically won the debate, though Ella would never admit it. She had put up every defense possible; saying that the reason there had been more muggle-born dark wizards was because they had been mistreated by purebloods. She had failed, and they both knew it. But, like any decent Gryffindor, Ella was a good sport about it, even if she wouldn't admit her failure.

Now, just to pass Christmas.

When Tom reached the girls bathroom, after classes were over, he said something in parseltongue and a hole appeared in the floor. He jumped into his secret place, the place people would not evaluate everything he did. Sighing, he went through the tunnel thinking hard. _What happened? Another annoyance, _he thought. Tom couldn't believe he had shown so much emotion. But he couldn't also believe the feeling he had gotten watching Elleanora fight a losing battle. Tom frowned, _I'm supposed call her by her last name: Abmer. But Elleanora is prettier than Abmer or Ella. _Tom shushed that last thought; it sounded too much like the immature first year he had been two years ago. Had it been only two years ago since he and Elleanora - he had decided that it was alright to call her this, if not aloud - had been best friends. _I guess her prophecy is correct so far,_ he thought, _and it _will_ come true. I'll become a 'dark wizard.'_

When Ella went to bed that night, she was exhausted, but couldn't sleep. The Gryffindors girls in her dormitory were whispering about the upcoming Christmas ball. There was a small change this year: their partners would be chosen for all the students and there would be an Ice King and Snow King, chosen by the teachers.

Ella looked at her dream journal sitting on her nightstand that she was keeping for Divination. For the past four nights, she had been having the same dream. Now, it was starting to clear. Sighing, Ella closed her eyes for sleep to come.

_Elleanora was walking forward hand-in-hand with a boy carved out of green ice. It was snowing and there was a tree with bells on it. The boy began to melt, calling out her name as bolts of light headed straight towards her, "Elleanora."_

Ella woke up, grabbed her dream journal, scribbled down her dream. She had had that dream five times in a row, now.

She looked around her. The rest of the girls in the dormitory weren't awake yet, after all, today was the day everyone went to Hogsmead, except her. Being unsocial, Ella hadn't made any close friends, and going to Hogsmead by herself wasn't very appealing.

Sighing, Ella got up, pondering the meaning of her dream. _Christmas_, she thought, as she dressed and became ready for the long day ahead of her, _the Christmas tree represents Christmas. What happens on Christmas? Christmas Eve is the ball. Hmm…, _she went into to the common room, _why would there be a boy made of ice, _through the fat lady, _the ball! Ice king! Me hand in hand with the 'ice king.' _Down the steps to breakfast, _Oh, no! That makes me the snow queen. _She reached the Great Hall and sat down on the Gryffindor table, _the green ice means that my partner will be a Slytherin, _she inwardly groaned, _him melting means he will be nice. _She picked up a piece of toast; _he called me 'Elleanora.' _She finished the toast; _no one calls me that except for…_Ella froze.

The terrified girl quickly left the Great Hall, made a left and headed for the divination tower. When she practically ran up the spiraling stairs, Ella almost crashed into Professor Cerrel, the divination teacher. The teacher smiled at the girl, "Right on time, Ella."

Tom had watched amusedly as Elleanora practically ran out of the Great Hall. Tom had been watching her across from the room and she hadn't even noticed. Since it was early in the morning, few people were awake, much less eating breakfast. Most of the teachers were eating breakfast, but Ella and Tom had been the only students. Tom had been saying to himself that if all Gryffindors were up at the crack of dawn, he'd have to make a hundred horcruxes.

At first, Elleanora's face had been thoughtful, with an occasional wince, but when she had finished her toast, panic had flooded her face. Then she had basically sprinted out of the room like a frightened deer.

Tom had left the room, too, a lot more calmly, and aware of Professor Dumbledore's, the transfiguration teacher, eyes following him. Tom had then made sure that no one was around, pointed his wand at Elleanora's back, and muttered a complex spell he had made in his second year. He wandered into the girls' bathroom; into his secret place.

The spell he had cast on Elleanora's back was one that allowed him to everything she heard and said. Closing his eyes, Tom started listening to Elleanora running up stairs and then her whole conversation with Professor Cerel.

"_Right on time, Ella." _ That must be Professor Cerel, thought Tom._ There was a pause. Then, "Tell all," said Professor Cerel. _

_Elleanora began, "I've been having a dream for the past couple of nights. I am walking hand in hand with a boy carved out of green ice. A Christmas tree with bells on it is in front of us. The boy begins to melt and calls out 'Elleanora.'_

"_And what do you think of it?" said Professor Cerel._

"_I think it means I'll be the snow queen for the Christmas Ball. My partner will be a Slytherin who will be nice to me."_

"_And," said the professor._

"_I-I think that-that Tom Riddle will be my partner," Elleanora said in a small voice, "since he's the only one who has ever called me 'Elleanora.'" _

"_Yes, that's quite right. Good job."_

_Elleanora groaned, "But we hate each other."_

"_That's why you two were put together."_

"_What am I going to do?" asked Elleanora._

"_Nothing," the professor said cheerfully, "besides coming over here with your dress."_

Tom had heard enough. Taking out his wand, he muttered a spell to end the first spell. _I'm going to _kill _Dumbledore, literally,_ thought Tom, _I'm probably going to be Elleanora's partner for the ball, and it's probably because of that git. _

Tom had no doubt that Professor Dumbledore was the one to make this happen. Dumbledore had been the only teacher Tom hadn't been able to charm and Dumbledore now was probably trying to make Tom have real friends. _I'll just let it pass,_ Tom thought, _there's nothing I can do. Anyways, I shouldn't be spending time on something as unimportant as this. _

As he left the girls' bathroom, unknown to him, someone was watching him, curiously.

**Who was watching him curiously? You'll have to wait until my next fan fiction, Serpent's Queen. This is Serpent's Queen: The Beginning. I've already semi-started Serpent's Queen, so I know that that person will be mentioned. Keep it in mind. **

**Isn't Tom just hilarious? It makes me laugh at this sentence which probably makes you roll your eyes: '**_I'm going to _kill _Dumbledore, literally_**'**

**If you have any questions or comments, review! I will answer all questions on this page. **

**Thank you,**

**Princess Mariana**


	3. Chapter 3

**I do not own Harry Potter. Read books and previous chapter(s) before reading this. Might contain Spoilers. **

Finally Christmas Eve Day came, the day that Ella was dreading, along with most of the young boys of Hogwarts. Since it was already winter break, there were no school classes. Only three people left for Christmas. That day, when Ella was in the Gryffindor Common Room, Professor Dumbledore came in and beckoned her. She went over to him. "Ella," he whispered, "you already know this, according to Professor Cerel, but I have to tell you that you are the snow queen."

Even though Ella already knew, it still bothered her. She wondered why the teachers picked her and Tom as she wandered back toward one of the common room chairs. She stared at the fire for a few minutes before her thoughts began to wonder to places where she didn't want to be.

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin Common Room, Tom was thinking about Elleanora, unwilling, when Professor Slughorn, the head of the Slytherin house and potions master, appeared at his side. "Tom, I have to tell you that you're the Ice King for the dance. Congratulations," he whispered then departed.

Tom sat, frozen. Elleanora had been right! And Tom knew who the Snow Queen probably was. He was inwardly sighing. Inside he was rejoicing, but he mentally pushed that feeling away, trying to ignore that sudden, wonderful feeling. He silently sighed, again.

Two hours before the ball, after everything was set up in the Great Hall, everyone left to get ready. The boys went into their common rooms to talk amongst themselves for an hour before they left to get ready. The girls used all of the two hours to get ready. Ella decided to just slip on the dress she had bought, but the other Gryffindor girls pounced on her. They didn't know, but guessed that she was the snow queen, and they wanted to have Gryffindor represented well. Plus they all had been waiting for a chance to get Ella all dressed up, since she always wore the same things, the school uniform, even when not necessary, at school.

The Slytherin boys, however, did not dare to get Tom perfectly perfect. But Tom decided to look his best, anyways.

Ten minutes before the ball, the teachers pulled Tom and Ella out of their common rooms as inconspicuously as possible. The headmaster told them to call each other by their first names, instead of last, and to stick together as much as possible. They also had to have the first dance, and when they walked in to the Great Hall, they had to hold hands. When they were told this, Ella was trying hard to not grit her teeth, while Tom had his face as blank as a stone. The pair was told this separately, so they wouldn't find out who their partner was yet.

At the same time, the students were being told who their partner was. Almost magically, there were the same number as girls as boy. It was also a strange 'coincidence' that there were a lot of Gryffindors were paired with Slytherins.

Finally, the ball started. Everyone waited patiently, some impatiently, for the snow queen and ice king to appear. Finally, the Great Hall doors opened. Tom walked out first. He looked handsome in dark green robes. His black hair was well combed, though that was normal. The girls that had fallen in love with him the first time they had seen him, did it all over again. It was so silent that you could here a pin drop as Tom went halfway down the aisle created by people parting.

The door opened again and, if possible, the hush became softer. Elleanora walked out. She was breathtaking. Ella wore a dark blue dress, with sleeves, and went all the way to the floor. It almost looked like a blue wedding gown. It seemed to sparkle. Her golden blonde hair was wavy, thanks to the Gryffindor girls, and her face looked very pale, also because of the Gryffindor girls, but furthermore due to the fact that everyone was staring at her.

As she walked towards Tom, he tried not to stare at her as the other boys in the room were doing. He succeeded. In classes, she was pretty enough, but now pretty was a big enough word.

Ella was trying not to stare at her partner as well. When she usually saw him, he was handsome, but now he was…he was…she couldn't put a word for it.

They took each other's hands, almost unwilling, and headed for the teachers' table, as they had been instructed. They both were forcing smile. Even if the other was stunning, they still were trying as hard as they could _not_ to enjoy this night. Professor Dippet said, in a commanding voice, "Kneel!" they kneeled obediently, still hand-in-hand. Then the headmaster said, "I crown thee, Tom Marvolo Riddle, Ice King." He placed a crown carved out of crystal with small crystals and diamonds, on Tom's head. Then the headmaster turned to Elleanora, "I crown thee, Elleanora Elizabeth Abmer, Snow Queen." He placed a crown that was more like a tiara carved out of crystal with small diamonds and crystals on it. They then rose and headed for the dance floor to start the first dance.

As the music started and they started dancing, Elleanora whispered to Tom, "I think you might want to know that I've never danced before."

"Neither have I, but it doesn't seem too difficult," Tom whispered back with a slight, real smile. People started to come on the dance floor, too. Finally the song ended and Elleanora practically ran to a spot to sit by the window. When they sat down, there was a long pause until Elleanora broke it. "Well, this is awkward," she finally managed. Tom nodded mechanically; his mind was elsewhere.

There was another long pause. Tom broke it this time. "Do you want to dance?" his voice was forced.

"Not really, but if you want to, we can," replied Ella.

"I don't really want to, either," Tom confessed.

Ella looked sort of amused when she said, "Are we going to spend the next few hours having this awkward silence that is every once and awhile broken?"

"It seems so," Tom confirmed gravely.

Ella thought for a second before an idea came. She suggested to Tom, "We could play a game."

"Do you have in games in mind?"

"No…we could continue the debate or change it."

Tom considered for a second before nodding, "Alright, you pick the subject."

But before she could answer, Ella thought she heard a cry of pain. "What was that?" she quickly asked Tom.

Tom stood up, "I heard it too."

There was another cry, but only Tom and Ella seemed to be able to hear it. Ella instinctively picked up her skirts and basically ran over to where the sound was coming from, Tom beside her. The sound led her outside where nobody seemed around except for an adult witch torturing a first year Hufflepuff witch. "Stop it!" cried Elleanora.

The older witch cackled, but stopped torturing the first year. She instead stunned the first year. "It's about time, Ella," taunted the witch.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Ella's voice was commanding and very angry. Not waiting for a reply, Ella turned to Tom, "Tom, get a professor. I'll hold her off." Before he could argue, Ella snapped, "If we both fight her, nobody can get the teachers."

"I'm staying," Tom said firmly. His voice was full of cold furry. Before Ella could reply, the old witch flicked her wand at Tom and he went flying inside. Another flick and the doors shut.

"Tom!" Ella cried before turning on the other witch with fury. Ella took her wand and pointed it at her opponent. "I wonder if you can still beat me?" the witch taunted Ella again, "You see, I have come from the future and you are a nuisance to me and my friends. And the Dark Lord will not dispose of you, so I came here to get rid of you where I could." When she finished, she cast the first spell. Ella put her shields up just in time. And the duel started.

When Tom had been thrown, he had heard Ella yell his first name. It gave him some warmth that she didn't hate him. But he put those feelings aside and decided to get the teachers. He ran to the high table where only Professor Dumbledore and Professor Dippet sat, talking. "Elleanora is in trouble. There is no time to explain. There is a witch fighting with her outside," he gasped.

Professor Dumbledore automatically sprang up and hurried after Tom who led him towards Elleanora. Professor Dippet, however, stood up and went to find all the teachers. When Professor Dumbledore and Tom finally arrived, Ella was giving the final curse, stupifying the opposing witch. She was bleeding a lot from a cut, her dress was torn, and her crown was lying on the ground. The other witch was worse. She was bleeding and had multiple bruises. "Elleanora, are you all right?" Tom said quickly. She nodded and Tom hurried forward to catch her as she fainted.

As Ella awoke, she heard voices. "I don't think she's going to awaken anytime soon. Go off and enjoy the party," Madame Grout's voice said.

Tom replied, coolly, "She is my dancing partner, Madame Grout. I shall not leave her."

Ella slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Tom was sitting at her bedside in the hospital wing. Madame Grout's anxious face was looking over at her. "What happened?" Ella asked weakly.

"You gave that witch one broken arm and more than a handful of cuts and bruises. She gave you a lot of blood loss, that's what happened," Madame Grout said.

"Oh, I must have lost my temper," Ella said as she tried to sit up. Madame Grout tried to stop her but Ella said, "I'm fine."

The nurse snorted but gave in. Ella tried to get out of bed and Tom reached out to help her. She hesitated but let him help her stand. "Professor Dumbledore said to wait for you to wake up until we awakened her," Tom said, gesturing to the witch that Ella had dueled with, a few cots away. "I'm ready," Ella said weakly.

Right at that moment, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Dippet walked in. "All ready?" Professor Dippet asked, rubbing his hands together. Ella nodded.

They all gathered around the cot where the old witch appeared to be asleep, Tom helping Ella. Professor Dumbledore took out his wand, pointed at the witch, and muttered a spell. There was a flash of light and the witch awoke. Seeing Dumbledore, she shrieked, there was hatred and fear in her eyes. Dumbledore looked down his crooked nose at her curiously.

Tom glared at her, asking, "Why did you come here?"

The witch laughed eerily, "To kill the young Ella Abmer since I couldn't do it in my time."

Tom's glare contained cold fury as he questioned her again, "Why would you want to kill her?"

The witch growled angrily, "Because the Dark Lord didn't let me kill or even _hurt_ her, even though she turned more of his followers than Mad Eye Moody."

"If I was a nuisance to him, then why wouldn't he kill me?" this time it was Ella asking.

The witch just noticed her and lunged at her. Tom stepped protectively in front of her, wand pointing at the witch. She glared, full of hatred, then lay back. Tom moved from his protective position as the witch grudgingly answered, "I don't know. None of us do and we can't ask, even though we want to. But I do know that awhile after he found out you were alive, he sent me and three other followers on a mission to kidnap you, under strict orders _not_ to kill you. Of course we failed because he had set a trap for you, using us to chase you out of your house. And two weeks before this occurrence, he seemed to change. He seemed look younger and acted differently. Soon I decided to come here with a stolen time turner, something that hasn't been invented yet here. That's all I'll say." The witch finished this speech with a growing anger.

Dumbledore sighed, "I think that is all we can learn."

Professor Dippet said, "I'll head back to the ball to tell the students that everything is fine. Albus, can you take it from here?"

Professor Dumbledore nodded and the headmaster left. Turning to Ella, Dumbledore asked, "Ella, do you think you should stay here or will you be alright?"

"I think I'm alright," replied Ella.

"Hmpf, Albus, she is exhausted and has just battled a full grown witch. She should stay here!" interjected Madame Grout.

"She didn't know how to duel!" protested Ella, "She just threw killing curses at me and ducked a lot."

Madame Grout argued back, "If she just 'threw killing curses', then how come you lost a lot of blood?"

Ella blushed, "I tripped and landed on something sharp."

Dumbledore thought for a moment before saying, "I think Ella is fine," he then turned to Tom, "Tom, can you take Miss Abmer to her dormitory?"

Tom nodded, "Yes sir."

The walk to the Gryffindor Common Room was silent, but not uncomfortable. When they reached the Fat Lady, Ella said, "Thank you Tom. I'm sorry about being a lousy partner."

"You weren't that bad," replied Tom, "I was expecting it to be boring, but it was rather exciting. Anyways, I thought my partner would make me dance the whole time."

They smiled hesitantly at each other for a second before Tom left. Elleanora gave the Fat Lady the password and went to bed, still a bit dizzy.

The next day, it was Christmas. Ella received _Hogwarts, a History_ from her parents. It had been newly published and she couldn't wait to read it.

At breakfast, all the Gryffindor girls around Ella were talking about the ball. "Did you like it, Ella?" asked a girl named Hanna.

"Hmm," Ella distractedly said.

"Did anything _happen_," pried a girl called Jill.

Ella smiled. "Oh, you know the average dance stuff. I just got attacked by a crazy witch," Ella yawned. She knew it was safe to tell them this because the whole school would all know soon. Another girl, Mary, gasped, "So it _wasn't _a rumor."

Ella just smiled and went back to her breakfast.

Unknown to Ella, Tom was watching her, discreetly, with some amusement. Unknown to Tom, Dumbledore was watching him watch Ella, and the old professor was smiling.

Two weeks after the ball, the students were allowed to go to Hogsmeade. (In that time period, everyone could go, but that changed when Dumbledore became headmaster.) Ella wasn't going to go. She decided take the chance to be in the Common Room alone and read _Hogwarts, a History._

After breakfast the Saturday of Hogsmeade, almost everyone left. So when Ella, on her way back to her dormitory from breakfast, tripped when the staircases moved and fell down three sets of stairs, no one saw. As Ella fell, she was well aware of this and had no idea what to do. But when she was lying on at the bottom of a staircase, she didn't really have too many options because she couldn't move and she was losing blood fast. Losing blood was something that seemed to happen a lot to her and it didn't help her stay awake. With in minutes, she was unconscious.

Tom was walking to the library while everyone was away when he saw a body lying at the bottom of a staircase. Wondering if it was a good idea, he tried to get to it, but found it a challenge because of all the moving staircases. Finally he reached the body. It was Elleanora. He quickly picked her up and rushed off to the hospital wing.

When Ella awoke, she saw the normal crowd of when she woke up in the hospital wing: Tom and Madame Grout. Tom's anxious face relaxed when he saw her awake, but Ella might've imagined it. Madame Grout smiled when she saw Ella open her eyes, "You seem to enjoy my company again. I remember when you used to come here every other week with broken arms and legs."

"How did I get here?" asked Ella, "The last thing I remember was lying on the ground."

Madame Grout nodded to Tom, "Mr. Riddle, here, found you and brought you to me. Oh! Look at the time! I have an appointment with Professor Dumbledore. I'll see you two later. Ella, you need to stay here over night. I'm so glad you two are friends again!" The nurse then left.

Ella and Tom looked at each other and Ella wondered out loud, "Is it just me, or are the teachers trying to make us friends again?"

"It's not just you," Tom reassured her. There was a pause until Tom broke it, casually asking Ella, "Are we?"

Seeing the blank look on Ella's face, he clarified, "Friends."

"Oh!" Ella said, understanding flooding through her, "Do we have a choice?"

Tom smiled, "Probably not. This feels like the time when we were first years contemplating the same question. You predicted that we would be friends again about this time. It is up to you if that prediction becomes true or not."

Ella thought for a second before consenting, "We can try it. It will be strange having a friend again."

They smiled at each other and started their friendship again.

The rest to year passed quickly. Since they shared all of their classes, they had the same homework. So everyday, when classes were over, they went to the library together and studied together, helping each other. Then they walked to dinner together, parting at the doors. When they were done with dinner, they went back to library to either finish homework or, if they were done with schoolwork, they picked random books just to study for fun.

The Gryffindor girls teased Ella about being friends with a Slytherin, a _boy_ Slytherin, at that. Some were downright disapproved. Most of the boys thought it was hilarious and loved teasing her more than the girls. The Slytherins were shocked at this new friendship because Tom wasn't great friends with any of _them_ and a Gryffindor girl was the last person a Slytherin could even think of befriending. None of them dared tell Tom their opinion on the matter, but Tom still knew their thoughts anyways. Tom and Ella both ignored their classmates' views on their friendship.

And Dumbledore watched this happily.

Finally the day came when Tom and Ella had to part at King's Cross. They hugged tightly; Ella was close to tears. "I'll write every day," promised Ella, "Muggle style, if need be."

"If I can, I will too," Tom promised back. Ella's family and the lady who had come to take Tom back to the orphanage, watched in amazement. Ella watched Tom leave until he was out of sight.

Henry, Ella's brother who was dying from an unknown disease, came over and put his hands on her shoulders, steering her to the Abmer family. And so the two parted to go their separate ways.

**I love this chapter. It's when Tom gets all gentlemanly and chivalrous, at least to Ella. By the way, look for hints of the future. They are there. I won't give you any, but some of them are very obvious so I hope you catch them. By the way, there is no romance at the moment, just a very a very strong friendship. This is the kind of TR/OC fan fiction that has them be very close friends first. It's a lot easier and a lot more enjoyable to write about almost automatic love, where it just blossoms somehow. I'm not talking about love at first sight, like in Cinderella, but like not very close friends but then love, kind of love. Catch my drift? If you don't, don't feel bad; it's very confusing to write about. **

**Please review and read on (if I have posted another chapter). And, also, if you have questions, put it in a review and I'll answer it on this page. **

**Thank you,**

**Princess Mariana**


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